Amazon Rainforest Peru Night Bird. (1 Viewer)

[Daz001]

This will not be easy! Really testing people with these pictures.

So it was late evening, near the end of my trip. Put camera away and thought no more birds. In the middle of nowhere in Amazon Rainforest in Peru. Iquitos about 3-4 hours away by boat. Staying in a lodge, pitch black.

My guide spots eyes.. well one eye. We shine a torch onto it. I can clearly see something sitting on the ground in a wooded area. I can see it is blinking. It's so bizarre that my Brain cannot process what it is.

Hope its a bird! Key features.. night, on the ground, could see blinking, only ever saw one eye by the angle. That grey object, with the one eye white due to the light.

A potoo?

 

[Jim M.]

A potoo?

I think I see what you are looking at. Never seen a potoo sitting on the ground. More likely a nightjar; not sure what the options are in Iquitos.

 

[Daz001]

Never seen a potoo sitting on the ground. More likely a nightjar; not sure what the options are in Iquitos.

Yes I was reading they are normally hunting from a Tree Branch. I did think Nightjar too.

 

[Butty]

Many life-forms have eyes... 🤷🏻

 

[Daz001]

sMany life-forms have eyes... 🤷🏻

True, but looks to have a small beak on it too! Hope a bird or I am in wrong website.

 

[Butty]

looks to have a small beak on it too

I see a photo with lots of vegetational mush which could be imaginatively interpreted as almost anything. Sorry!

 

[Jim M.]

Many life-forms have eyes... 🤷🏻

But not all eyes reflect light. And this one appears to be swiveling its head independently of its body. Both of these are consistent with nightjar.

 

[Daz001]

I see a photo with lots of vegetational mush which could be imaginatively interpreted as almost anything. Sorry!

That's the whole point of this forum, if it was easy, I would use my Bird Book.

 

[Butty]

That's the whole point of this forum

Definitely. You asked for opinions 👍🏻

 

[pbjosh]

I am not certain it’s a bird but am certain it is not a Potoo. Can’t really offer more than that.

 

[pianoman]

Looking at 4a and 5a in succession shows there is definitely a moving creature with eyes. And gave the impression of being something in the nightjar family, even before reading the comments. That said, an owl of some sort is a possibility too

 

[THE_FERN]

Looks like nightjar to me

 

[Daz001]

Thanks all!!! I'm going with the possibility of a Nightjar then. The guide, who was bird crazy said it was a bird, and only seeing one eye pretty much rules out an owl. Being on the ground I'd say rules out a Potoo. It was blinking slowly, don't know if Nightjars do that. I'll do more research. Thank you.